How to lose weight without diet ! ;)

Sunny days are back (or nearly)! And women magazines bombard us with topics on “the perfect body for the summer’, “miracle diet”, “bikini objective” and so on! Oh my god. I confess that I read what they say just out of curiosity but in general, it discourages me because I find their recommendations too restrictive to apply! Indeed, I love eating, I like the good things in life and I am unable to go on a diet, even for a single day! This doesn’t mean that I renounce to slim down and that I am resigned to gain weight until death ensues, do not get me wrong. Despite my appetite of ogre, I want to stay feminine and look pretty for summer, like most girls I guess. I know what you are going to say, “What a capricious one! She wants to get thinner without effort!”… This is not entirely wrong but by saying “without effort”, I mean “without suffering”! I don’t want to starve myself and ruin my health by following a drastic diet consisting of deprivation. I refuse to weaken myself, I do not want to look like a walking skeleton. I want to stay toned, fresh and dynamic! So do you? Perfect! Here are 15 tips to help you lose weight without dieting, get ready!

1. Eat at the right time! Respect your biological clock! How to proceed? One hour after you wake up, take a hearty breakfast. This is the most important meal and it should be rich in lipids. Don’t be afraid of the fat, you will spend the calories ingested during the day! The ideal would be based on the Anglo-Saxon breakfast but it doesn’t really fit the habits of French. What then? Add some butter on your bread and a slice of ham to complete your usual breakfast. Wait 5-6 hours before lunch. Your meal should better be rich in proteins: fish, poultry, eggs, beef, lentils, brown rice, dairy products, cheese, almonds….the list goes on, you choose! 5 hours after lunch, you can have a sweet snack like a fruit but only if you’re hungry. Don’t forget dinner at the end of the day, preferably light to facilitate evening digestion!

2. Take your time and chew food! Take at least 20 minutes to eat, this is the minimum time to reach satiety. And take time to chew your food properly to appreciate the flavor! Don’t eat in front of your computer, you need a real break to disconnect, ok?

3. Plan a snack break instead of snacking all day! Snack breaks are not only dedicated to kids, trust me! We all need energy to keep working. What about a tea, a fruit or a yogurt mixed with granola and berries? It’s up to you!

4. Continue to eat good things but select them! You have the right to eat whatever you want! We often tend to be attracted by festive dishes. Why not? Just be aware that some of them are even more caloric than others. For example, choose the four seasons pizza rather than pasta carbonara. At least there are vegetables in the pizza!

5. Treat yourself and rebalance food variations! If you want to have junk food, it’s your own choice. Savor your burger and your fries, you won’t eat this every day! For the next meal, just be more reasonable by having soup and vegetables for example. Like this, you won’t get fat and you will keep on eating what you like, isn’t that wonderful? It’s just a matter of balance…

6. Cook yourself! Homemade cuisine is the best because you are the master of the kitchen! You can control the quantities and the quality of your food. You can put herbs and spices to flavor your dishes if you are tired of oil and butter! And it’s always more pleasant to eat a meal that you have made yourself, no?

7. Eat in smaller plates! Take plates dedicated to desserts and don’t change what you want to eat. You will have a good meal while eating less! Magic, isn’t it? As the plate is full, the trick works.

8. Don’t skip meals! When you skip a meal, you tend to take revenge on the next meal and your body makes fat reserves to cover any deprivation. It’s a vicious circle so be a good girl and have your 3 daily meals please!

9. Drink more water and avoid carbonated drinks! Water is the best drink for your body and it has no calories! Try to drink 8 glasses of water per day to stay well hydrated. Avoid carbonated drinks not to be bloated, you will thank me later. If you want to have a diet soda from time to time, go for it! It has to be occasional, not daily, deal? Otherwise you will have a dependence to sweet taste!

10. Eat vegetables as desired! In the form of crudités, salads, steamed, roasted, mashed, in gratins or juiced, there are a thousand and one ways to eat vegetables! Besides, they are filled with good things: fiber, vitamins, minerals and they are low in calories. Fantastic, isn’t it?

11. Eat fresh fruits! Fruitsare rich in antioxidant vitamins and provide fiber and minerals. Raw fruit will fill you up more than juice, trust me. Nothing prevents you to squeeze your own fruits or make homedade milkshakes, smoothies or compotes, it’s also good, yum! Careful, unlikely vegetables, you cannot consume unlimited fruits because of the sugar. You don’t want to become diabetic, right?

12. Sleep well! It is well known that lack of sleep leads to food cravings! Indeed, one of the first things we do when we get up is eating. But this is not a reason to stay in bed all day either…

13. Control your emotions! Stress, sorrow, anger or other, when we are not in our normal condition, we often use food to console ourselves! In your opinion, where does the overeating come from? Girls, it’s not because a jerk made you cry that you have to turn into a whale by emptying the jar of Nutella! It’s the best way to stay single forever… No, you have to find something else to feel better and occupy your mind. For example, when I’m singing and playing the guitar at the same time, I can be sure to eat nothing! Clever, isn’t it?

14. Do sport! Sport will shape your body and help you to burn calories, no more excuse! Personally, I ride my bike during one hour every day. Swimming is good as well to shape all your silhouette! For you to find the sport that suits you best. Once you have chosen, stick to it and think of the sexy woman you’re going to be thanks to all your exercises! Plus, endorphins will make you happy to play sports, it’s worth it.

15. Eat only when you’re hungry! We often eat when we are bored and this is a very bad habit! Drink a glass of water first. If it doesn’t fill you up, have a fruit. If you don’t want it, it means that you are not really hungry and you are just looking for an excuse to eat “empty calories”. I mean food without nutritional interest like candies for example! Instead of eating something you don’t need, find yourself a hobby: drawing, painting, music, reading, writing or whatever, it’s up to you!

That’s it! Hope these 15 tips will help you to reach your ideal weight. Don’t hesitate to share your own tips in the comment field! xoxo 🙂